Anytime you start excavating a new project site, there is always a chance to find some surprises buried within the soil. Typically, it’s not good news, like an unknown utility line or a leaky underground storage tank, but the lucky ones find some significant historical artifacts.
As a crew from Franjo Construction were preparing a Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania site for a 274,823 square foot mixed-use apartment complex, one of their experienced excavator operators hit something hard and knew he had just found something pretty cool: a significant amount of Civil War-era cannonballs. According to the Pittsburgh Police, the operator called the bomb squad immediately to investigate.
The bomb squad said that the cannonballs were still live and are susceptible to impact, heat, friction, and shock…all conditions that could have proved very bad for those on-site, if it weren’t for the awareness of the operator.
Finding a large amount of cannonballs is pretty amazing, but what’s even more amazing is that this isn’t Franjo’s first time finding them. In 2017, the company unearthed over 300 cannonballs on a previous phase of the development.
Full story: Cannonballs Found at Arsenal Site in Lawrenceville | Franjo Construction
Shane is the creator of Construction Junkie and an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career.